Paul told Ephesus saints to speak the Truth in love.
The Truth without love is dead orthodoxy.
The Love without truth is sentimentality.
But truth must be our watchword. The truth must be clear, logical, understandable, reasonable and through, especially when it comes to the gospel.
The Gospel should be preached so that the lost person understands their need of salvation. If they don't understand why they weren't born right the first time, they will not understand why they must be born again.
Their need is based on Adam's rebellion which brought on his spiritual death and the consequential spiritual death of every human since. Every human has lined up behind Adam and followed his rebellious ways.
Having now identified himself with Satan, who also rebelled against his creator, man is fairly sentenced to the same fate as Satan. Hell. He has a great NEED.
God loves man and desires to restore him to a place of fellowship with Himself once again. God leaves man's freewill intact and devises a plan that opens the door of forgiveness to filthy sinners and places them in the heavenlies with God. The amazing truth of God's work and one that lost people must understand is that God is perfect in His holiness and justice and will not violate these to open the door of Heaven to sinners. God said the wages of sin is death and that's the way it is. For His holiness to be satisfied someone must bleed for the offenses since only blood can wash away sin. For His justice to be satisfied someone must die. No human is qualified to bleed and die because all are cursed with Adam's dirty blood and sinful nature. So God Himself took on human flesh so that a perfect human could bleed and die to bear the punishment and pay the price for sin. Jesus, the lamb without spot or blemish, suffered and died to take away the sin of the world. After dying on the Cross He rose from the dead, affirming His sinlessness. Death could not hold Him for He had no sin.
Lost people must know the Truth about how to accept the Good News. God sends a messenger to share the Good News and the Holy Spirit confirms the Word and convicts the sinner. The Holy Spirit speaks to a lost person and points out that he has ignored Jesus, that he has a load of personal sin and has disobeyed every one of God's Ten Commands and if he continues in rebellion will face the same fate as Satan -eternity in Hell.
Lost people must know the Truth that they can resist the Holy Spirit as Felix did before Paul, but now they should stop resisting and surrender to God who has rightful authority in their lives because He is God and Creator. When the lost person surrenders to God (lets God be God) God provides to him the faith which is "not of ourselves, it is the gift of God", to trust Jesus as his personal sacrifice for sin. Once the lost person rusts in Jesus he becomes alive to God, forgiven for his sin,and his eternal existence begins.
The Gospel must be preached in Truth and Love. The Gospel must never be treated flippantly, or lightly.
I have not always preached the Gospel well but in these days I try to present it thoroughly, logically, understandably and truthfully, while endeavoring to let the compassion of Jesus be evident.
Next I will write on how the Gospel is to be lived. But now I have three jobs and I'm feeling the pressure of time.
I love you all.
-Dad
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30 comments:
Isn't it such a blessing to be having these kind of discussions as a family!!! Praise the Lord that His ways and His words are on our lips and part of our conversation!
I'm headed for the b-e-d! I've been keeping children all night at the Introducing God class. They were all real good. I held little baby Sam all night. (about 1.5 yrs) He was a little fussy, but sooooo sweet! Love you all! Clifton is working on a BIG paper for one of his classes. I think it is about the Salvation Army. So anything you know about that, please share and maybe he'll use you as a source. He has to have like 10 sources!
Goodnight,
Sal
Dad, thanks for putting to words core truths that we need to affirm in our lives.
I want to share how I experience God's provision for our brother in Iraq. Curtis called me Saturday afternoon and asked me to go to Brigade Quartermaster to purchases some special boots for him. He said Lauren could get them but it would take almost two weeks just to get them to her to send. So I went to B.Q. to get the boots, simple enough. I get to the store and ask for a pair of Danner Marine Temperate boots, size 10 Reg. The clerk said that they did not stock those boots in the retail store and that I would have to order them from Danner. I told him that they were for my brother in Iraq and we were hoping they would have them so we would not have the extra wait time in ordering them. The clerk said he would check the computer just to make sure they did not have any. He went to the computer and checked and then said, "It says we have a pair of Danner Marine Temperate boots, size 10 reg. What size did you need?" I almost had a shouting fit. AMEN! He went back to the stock room and came back with the boots I needed. He said they must have been miss ordered or returned (The boots have never been woren or laced.) because they never keep those in stock or in the store. He then told me that he could not sell them to me because they can only be sold directly to a Marine. I said again that they were for my brother. He asked for a picture of him in uniform but finally took my word that the boots were for Curtis. You may say it is just a pair of boots but I say it is God's divine provision. He knew Curtis needed the boots and put them in that store on Saturday to meet the need. I praise God for proving Himself faithful to his own even in a pair of boots! And on top of that the clerk sold them to me for $10 less and then gave me 10% off that. I then went to the other army/navy store for some Fox river sox and they gave me a free pair for Curtis. God is Good! I thank God for His provision and seek to trust Him continually.
For HE is Semper Fi,
CDR
Wow, Cary that is an awesome story!God's provision is amazing!
Curtis - As a family we have been memorizing Psalm 139. We are up to verse 6 and have been thinking how appropriate/applicable these verses (especially 7-12) are for you and all of us as we pray for you:
(1) O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
(2) Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
(3) Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
(4) For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
(5) Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
(6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
(7) Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
(8) If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
(9) If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
(10) Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
(11) If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
(12) Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
We thought it might be an encouragement to the rest of you all to read them as well.
Cary – We wanted you to know how much Caedrin reminds us of you. While I didn’t know you when you were little Caedrin is definitely what I would picture you being like. Not necessarily in looks but in personality. While his speaking ability has come to him somewhat slower than other children, he tends to be very animated in his speech, which is quite hilarious. He can be such a booger, too. He’s incredibly hard to correct with a straight face and for someone who doesn’t talk well he seems to have a contradictory opinion about every subject discussed at the dinner table. Few children have ever been disciplined as much as Caedrin for talking back even though we haven’t a clue what he has said. We also need to see a picture of Audrey – we haven’t seen one in a long time.
Clif and Sally - we are all very excited to be getting a visit from you and also glad it will be a little longer than we previously anticipated. We just told the kids recently after it was a sure thing and not too far away on the calendar. It means a lot to us for you to come! Look forward to seeing you soon!
Tina- We would take the girl clothes I think. Regann was a different season than Cassia May and it is showing. It worked out fine boy wise with Andric because he was just big and fit into everything early. Cassia is growing but not at the rate Andric did.
Curtis and Lauren-We think and pray for you daily. I think the depth of your sacrifice hits deeper each day. It has been good to hear from you so we can pray for you more specifically.
Love,
April
April and I had great little get away to Brookfield last week. We did some shopping at Steve and Barry's (I finally got a sweet Tennessee Sweatshirt and a nice Wisconsin Badger hoody), St Vincet De Paul, and Bath and Body Works. We also got to eat at a Chipotle Grill for the first time - very good. The only downer was that the Tigers lost the WS. The kids had a fun time at the Sobczak's (they are the friends who kept us for 4 months of our 8 month homeless stint) Yesterday at church we had a missionary to the Cameroon. They had set up their table on Saturday evening so I picked up one of their prayer cards first thing Sunday AM. Turns out they are with Baptist Mid-Missions. Right away I thought "They probably know Steve and Beth." When they arrived later in the morning I greeted them and asked if they knew Steve and Beth. They looked very suprised when I asked and asked me how I knew them and I said that Steve is my cousin to which they replied that Steve and Beth would be their co-workers on the field. WOW! Their names are Dan and Karis Seely. Later as I visited with Dan he went on and on about what a wonderful ministry and family Steve and Beth have - it was really cool seeing some faces I knew well on their slides. Sounds like Dan and Steve are very much on the same page philosophically and that their teaming up will be a great fit. We'll look forward to what the Lord is going to do in Cameroon through their ministry.
Have a great day all.
Caleb
Wow, much has been said. What wonderful truths that you have reminded us of ,daddy. Cary, what a fantastic story!!! Caleb, that is so neat about the missionaries. I just love making connections with people like that.Even when it may seem small. A Lady visited our church last sunday, she looked so familiar I just couldnt place her. We finally got to talk after church. And come to find out She had waited on our family at Provinos Restaurant. We like to leave a businesscard size invite to our church and we had left one for her about a... I guess a year ago she remembered us. Another lady in our church had also invited her. It was so encourageing to make that "connection".
Well my life has taken a little twist for the last week or so, I have been serving on Jury duty. I have been throught 2 trials. One in criminal court (dui case) and one in civil court( a serious car crash) It has been a great experience. The only hassle is Balanceing it with being a full time mommy and housewife. We made it through last week with the help of Grandma and Chuck was great also. I didnt get home until 6 or 7 each night. Tues.- Fri. Now tomorrow I have to report. I am praying I wont be selected. My kidos have big Halloween plans! They want mommy to be home to handle everything,they are not so sure daddy is gonna get into enough. :)
Oh, I was forman on one of the juries. I was able to let my light shine for Jesus. I prayed before we began. I also got to share about some of my life experiences that involved my relasionship with Jesus. I made some new friends.
God is continuing to show Himself in the healing process of our family. I wont take time to share the details if you are interested just ask and I will share.
My business is doing great I have sold close to 2000 dollars worth of product this past month. Id really like to work it more diligently. I just need to stop overcommiting myself in too many areas. God is blessing Chucks business. He has changed some things recently in his life (money issues) AND God is truly honoring him for this.
Curtis our prayers for you are with out end. We love you. We miss you. We share your stories of Gods working in your situation there. My children loved the photos!!!
Lauren, are you good? We love you too!
Ill Talk later. Love the rest you, RothClan!
SIS
hey everybody! thanks again for all your prayers and support while i am here. it is so encouraging to hear from you all. april, that passage out of psalms is incredible. the last night i spent with mom and dad in ca was on a sunday and dad thought it would be nice to have our own little service. he read that passage to me. from then on i have read it and shared it with other marines countless numbers of times. it has opened doors to share the gospel and to just to lift a fellow marine up. alot of marines find comfort in passages such as psalms 139 but if they dont know Christ they will still spend eternity in hell. this is a special time in each of their lives. i pray that through the testomony of a fellow Christian marine that many of these men will come to know Christ not just on a page with words but in their hearts and lives.
i am doing well here. we will busy the next month so calls will be spaced out. i am glad things are well at home. i miss you all. the time is passing slower than i thought it would, but i guess a min is 60 seconds any way you cut it. keep praying for o. he is back in the states and doing well. he feels bad for leaving as any marine would. his duty to his country and brothers is something you may not understand but please pray for him. it is like letting down your closest friend times a thousand. please pray also for his law enforcement career. we both have ambitions in that field and this could possibly ruin those for him. well i need to get back. i love you all very much. lauren thanks for writing. i love you
-curtis
oh yeah i forgot, the boot story is incedible. believe it or not it does get really cold here. my boots are desert issued for hot weather and steel toed. my toes hate me. it is God looking out for His children. just another example of how much he loves us and cares for us. He knows the boots that are on my feet. cary thanks for all the help you have been to me and continue to be. i am praying for audrey as she gets work done on her ears. well that is all for now.
-curtis
hey - everybody should get a gmail account the chat feature on it is sweet. Clif just got it and we were chatting in like 10 minutes. Actually my pastor got so we can chat since he is off site for the next year til the new building is up. It's pretty convenient! I actually moved to a new office last week. I'm now in the little music room just off the auditorium. It's kind of wierd and cold at times (I have a space heater) Pastor gets to work from home. Which, since it is the parsonage at the new property, is actually more on-site since it will be the new site for the church. The water and sewer has been dug and they will actually start moving dirt on our property starting tommorrow.
Gmail is fun...thanks C.Caleb Roth.
By the way, Caleb...Chipotle is good, but holds a pretty dim light to Qdoba. I will explain if any of you are interested. We eat at both places often. Sal is tired tonight and is already in bed at 8:30. I am going very soon but have a little school work to do. I am writing a research paper on Irenaeus bishop of Lyon. Interesting man. Love you all. I will post more of dad's stuff tomorrow or the next day.
Happy Halloween!!! (I am sure that really means a lot to you) Well my kids had a fun day. They thought I was the coolest mom ever... I took them to school with a mask and wig on this morning. and escorted them to there classes. They excused me from jury duty today. I wore my mask in and told the circut court clerk I just didnt think I could focus today. She laughed and said "you go on home and have a fun day with your children". We had fun getting all dressed up. and lighting our jackolantern and setting up luminaries along the drive. Chuck took the kids out around to our friends houses and then came home and had our traditional "petros" for supper. We had some misbehaving teenagers come up and cause some ruccus we had to send them away. (about 25 teenagers) Well the paint and sparkles are all washed off and the children are sound to sleep.
We had a fun fall day !!!! My favorite time of the year.
Well, I do not have to go to jury selection tomorrow. I am glad.I am so tired, and I have catching up to do.
Curtis, I am so glad you are doing fine. I am so proud to hear that you are sharing Jesus through your life and conversation. I will pray for the time to go by faster. James comes home this weekend to stay. He will be looking for a good job and a house to buy.
Caleb sounds like things are coming along okay. Get a coffee maker for your office and a candle and you will be just toasty and cozy.
Cary did I miss the details on Audreys ear treatment. Maybe I should review the blog. Or I will just call. We will be praying for her. Hey Sal and Clif. I miss you. You wouldnt know it. My lack of communicating is pathetic. that goes for me communicating with everybody lately.
Well enough talkin I need to take a shower and hit the Hay. I love you all so much You to mommy and daddy. Clair and Tina. Lauren. okay the whole roth troop!!!!
buy, sis
Good Morning! just a quite note to let Cary know I saw Mrs. Flemming at Hobby Lobby last night. And she appreciates you sending her updates on your family and letting her know about Audrey. She just has failed at corresponding back:(((( But she wanted me to send her appreciation to you. She also asked about you Cita. And how you were doing? That was pretty our conversation. She needed to get home.
Have a great day everyone!
sorry, the word should be quick!
Curtis,
Thanks for the update. I wasn't ignoring you in my comment I just happened to have written earlier in the day and posted it much later (after you posted yours). I hadn't checked to see if anyone had posted anything. It was very good to hear from you.
Now as far as having Cita on a Jury - there's a good reason to stay out of trouble with the law in Chattanooga!
Clif - they are like just putting in a Qudoba on our street as we speak. I'm not sure it will be open by the time you get here but April and I will definitely check it out on one of our next dates.
Is Qudoba as affordable as Chipotle? That was the main thing that impressed me there. Hey they even gave me a free cup of Salsa!
Hey Everybody,
So good to hear from all of you. Dad is in bed so I can spend a few minutes here of line. we are fine and busy. John and Marilyn Lawrence (our missionaries with IBJM) just returned last night from 6wks in France, so we had a little welcome home time for them at church tonight.It is good to have them back.
Curtis, it is good to hear from you on here. I'm so glad to hear how the Lord is using you. I pray for that everyday for you, and all of my children. God ha been so good to us to give us children that want to serve Him. We praise Him often for that.I try to call Lauren every Wed. Although I haven't done it yet today.
We got a call tonight that Melonie Oliver passed away this morning. Larry died last Aug. and she and the two children had moved up to Finely,Ohio. So the two children are around 15, and left with no parents. Pray for them.
April, Ps 139 is one of my favorite chapters . I think I'll memorize it with your family.It's so wonderful to know that God is with us and knows all about us all the time no matter what .
Well, I guess I better get myself ready for bed. I love you all and I am so thankful for each one of you. Cary, I am praying for you and Amanda and Audrey.
Oh, by the way, Jayne Schmiedeskamp had a hip replacement today. As far as I know all went well. pray for her.
Ok, take care I love you all. Mom
Cita, no, I hadn't mentioned any thing about Audrey. Thursday A.M. she is getting tubes put in her ears. We have been fighting ear infections for quite a while so this is the last resort. We have tried a lot of things to get rid of the fluid on her ears that causes the infections. In fact, Audrey has been on the "no passy" wagon for two months now. She doesn't even know that it is gone. And knock on wood, she hasn't started on any finger or thumbs. We are proud of her.
This past week we had tile and carpet laid in the house and Amanda loves it.
Continue to pray for her family in the passing of her grandfather. Her parents will be here for a visit this weekend so we are looking forward to that. Between us we now have only one grandparent living and we cherrish her.
Audrey dressed as my favorite childhood character for the fall festival at church. Can you guess who she was? We bought the costume way before we had her and to our delite she loved it.
In Christ Alone, CDR
cary, is it "Kermit" the frog?
no, surely it must be caryous george.
No! It has to be the Tazmanian Devil!
I agree with Cita, "Kermit".
I'm glad Audrey came through her surgery ok.
Cary! You do remind me of Kermit know that you mention it! Can you talk like him???
Is it Dolly Parton???
Happy Anniversary! Chuck & Cita
We Love You!
Thankyou Tina. We had a good day today. I went with chuck to lunch and up to signalmnt to look at some work. the fall colors were beautiful!!!! Then we picked up the kidos. For supper we went as a family to Ocharleys. It was nice. Chuck bought me 24 beautiful roses.
He told me How much he loves me and thanked me for staying married to him for 10 yrs. I love him very much.
I got to go home from jury duty today. they settled the case out of court so they dismissed us. I am now done with my duty.(until next time). It was a great experience.
Can you believe Chuck made a comment! I thought it was very funny! HA HA You can always count on chuck for some good sarcasim!!
VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE !!!!!!!
GO CORKER!!!!!!
Way to be a great little brother, Clif!! Voter turn out here has also been great. A Lot of republican Cheer leaders along our road ways.
Hey, So glad you are voting. Dad and I will when he gets home this evening. Curtis called today and he is doing fine. Very cold at night and hot in the day. They have no heat in their tent. Burrrrrr!!! Next week he will have been there 2 months already.
Clif and Sally I'm glad you got to go to WI . I know Caleb's family enjoyed having you there. We are looking forward to going up after Thanksgiving.
Cary when are you going to answer the question?
Well you all take care I love you Mom
Clif will you email me. I can just respond with something for you to post. I think maybe I will be more apt to get it done. my email is citahalloran@comcast.net.
I know it seems silly. love you.
sis
well, have we all recovered from election return watching last night. We would have liked to see some better results statewide/nationally but our Marriage Amendment passed. Cary/Clair I don't know if you remember Miss Appling from MBBC but she was at the forefront of that debate here in WI. The Amendment passed 59% to 41%! She did a great job getting the word. There was much deception from the other side. WI politics leaves me scratching my head every election. Our liberal crooked governor won big but our very conservative Att Gen Candidate beat out the governor's hand picked liberal candidate (by a small margin). Our gov was very much against the Marriage Amend but it passed and he won. I don't get it. We even got a majority on a death penalty informational referendum. Glad to hear Corker won and hope Allen can pull it out in VA, though it doesn't look to promising.
It is at these times we must remind ourselves of God's sovreignty over the affairs of men as well as our responsibility to be salt and light. Stay encouraged.
hey everybody, I found this article very helpful and challenging especially in light of some things Clif and I discussed this past weekend. I hope you will all take time to read it. Please do so!
http://www.sharperiron.org/2006/11/08/compartment-rich-discernment-poor/#more-839
I remember miss Appling. :)
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